Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-09
SAVANNAH IN MARCH.
A NORTHERN INVASION-MIS-
TAKEN FLORIDA TOURISTS.

strolling by the Gordon monument THIS
morning passed group of three ladies',
and heard one Of them say: Il can al
ways tell Yankee by her walk. sup
pose this popularity OF gait comes from
walking so much on snow"
Naturally l became directly very
conscious of my movements, and wonder
ed if l had the manner OF one who
momentarily expects the feet to slip
up into the air. There was
certain commiseration Of tone in the
remark had overheard, as OF pity for
people who must, perforce, spend the
greater part OF their lives either wallow-
ing in snow or trying to keep their equl-
librium on top OF snow. But, IN TACT, De-
Iieve that we must own that the true
Southern woman, she who has never been
North, and never put her foot on snow,
has a way OF carrying herself that is FAR
pleasanter to look upon than the move
ments of an energetic aGkee.
Ineed not have applied this remark to
myself. for at this time OF the year there
are nearly as many Yankees as Southern
ers in the streets OF the principal towns
on the coast line OF railroad between
Florida and the North; they have stayed
as far into the spring among the sand and
the oranges as they deem best ana IN
March they turn their faces homeWard,
meeting thus the flock Of travellers who
are wise enough to start toward the
equator, instead of away from 1t, in the de-
testable early spring. Why do not people
stay in Florida through April! That is
the question the wise ones ask you: they
look with wonder on you and shrug their
shoulders. They stay knowing that
warmth and the most riotOus extrava-
gance of bloom and greenery await them
in Florida In April. The winter mas
been pleasant, it has mildly blessed
you and made you hug yourself when you
thought of what your friends were en-
during in New York; but it is the second
month in spring when this peninsula,
which lies bathed in the West Indian seas,
begins to tell you Of what 1t IS really
capable. Then it is as opuent IN beauty
and perfume and all manner OF unsDeaka-
BILE graces as is the most captivating
dream of your life. Through the winter,
when you have thought Florida was so
lovely. she has been but IN the bud. With
the first rays of the spring sun she begins
tounfold in bewitching bloom, and then
is the time when you choose TO leave her.
Fortunate for you if you never know what
you miss.
Not but that there Will be plenty to tell
you, but hearing a description OF an
experience aud feeling it yourself are two
very different things. Now, we knew
what we were leaving, when few days
ago we turned our faces away from 81.
| Augustine and set them northward.
| Since then we have been in Savannah,
| lelsurely exploring her streets, plying
| the people who rush from the station 10
an hotel, eat tranticallY, and
then jump into a carriage and
are driven a short circuit about
the city and to Bonaventure, then
back again to the station in time for the
| next Northern train. PrOvidentially we
| are not obliged to behave In that way.
We may even stay week. We have al
| ready spent whole day in B0nRVenture,
sitting by the Warsaw river, and eating
our luncheon with an appetite and spirit
not so fuuereal as would have been betit.
| ting. But our backs were 10 the draped
oaks and our faces to the suDlit water
that rippled and sparkled vivaciously.
Ofall the places / ever saw or can
imagine, the cemetery of Bonaventure
most thoroughly embOdies the idea con-
veyed by the words solemn and funereal.
| Nature herself has festOOned ii In per-
petual mourning; even the magnificent
live oaks have kind of bearse-lke as
pect, aud the little ferns which grow so
prettily on the trunks are here not simply
pretty, but decoration Of sorrow. The
presence of graVestOnes and commemo-
ratiVe monuments does not seem to add
ANYTHING to the sadness; for the long
twilight aisles Of mOss-hung oaks are far
sadder than any graves can be.
1t was one OF the brightest Of sunny
DAYS that we spent here. The air was
warm and full OF the scent Of yellow Jas
mine. half dozen darby children who
| had followed our carriage from a long
distance lowered constantly near, and
every half hour would advance sdyly and
offer a bunch OF the jasmine, which grows
everywhere among the bushes and is DOW
in Its prime. At last we seemed to have
bushels of the blooms, and mad bestowed
all Our nickels and pennies. This last
fact we communicated TO our c0lrt, but
they did not dispense; only grinned. i dc
not know why 1t is, but ragged. dirty
disreputable negro child is not half 50 re
| pulsiVe TO me as one OF the same class 0
white children. Perhaps one reason MAJ
be that the black child seems usually u
take life more easily, and with all hi
, rags and DIRT has Jolly air.
More than a hundred years ago Bona
venture was the home Of an English gen
tlemSn, put you can hardly see nov
where his mansion stood. Did time pas
gayly with him? Then the ive-Oaks wer,
not so large, there could not have beei
nearly so much Spanish moss here, anC
certainly there were no grave-stones
But could it nave been a cheerful spot
There are gardens Of lilies and roses
clumps Of azaleas; a hundred flower
" nose names | do not know; but they al
look at you sadly-they all know the,
are wept over and not smiled upon. Al
save the scentless, cold, hesrtless camelii
japonlca, which has no sympathy for tn
grief IL has seen. Why do they put sue
n flower heref Even its glossy gree
leaves are icy in their beauty.
Though you dwell In a city, fit be sue
an one as Savannah you need not keel
within four walls. Wherever you turr
there IS park not far 81, where you ca
sit in sun or shade, breathe In the mill
humid air, and be as lazy as you will
To-day sal long beneath an almond tire
that " as absolutely covered with bTightes
PINK double petaied blossoms. Tle birds
liked it; they came and fought an
scolded and coquetted. The NOrtherl
tourists hurried by me, alert. unrestful
why be in such haste! Tomorrow tn
Gun will shine, the birds will sing, tn
flowers bloom the same as to-day. Til
Savannah people have been re
markably wise in the matter o
parks and trees. To a strange
1t seems as il there were tree
everywhere; beautiful foliage rests tn,
eye and mitigates the glare OF city walls
or course there are orange trees ant
magnOlIas. The banana Is here also
rushing It's huge leaves the olive. thu
70 NNgs al